Employment Insurance Regulations

77.5 (1) Pilot Project No. 9 is established for the purpose of testing the labour market impact of decreasing, for new entrants and re-entrants to the labour force who have access to employment programs established under Part II of the Act, the number of hours of insurable employment required in order for them to qualify for benefits.

(2) Pilot Project No. 9 applies in respect of every claimant who is a new entrant or a re-entrant to the labour force, whose benefit period is established on or after December 11, 2005 and who is ordinarily resident in a region described in Schedule I that is set out in Schedule II.5, other than a claimant in respect of whom the Employment Insurance (Fishing) Regulations apply.

(3) For the purposes of Pilot Project No. 9,

• (a) the reference in paragraph 7(3)(b) of the Act to “910 or more hours of insurable employment” shall be read as a reference to “not less than 840 and not more than 909 hours of insurable employment”;

• (b) the reference in paragraph 7.1(2)(a) of the Act to “1,138 hours” shall be read as a reference to “1,050 hours”;

• (c) the reference in paragraph 7.1(2)(b) of the Act to “1,365 hours” shall be read as a reference to “1,260 hours”;

• (d) the reference in paragraph 7.1(2)(c) of the Act to “1,400 hours” shall be read as a reference to “1,294 hours”; and

• (e) subsection 27(1) of the Act does not apply in respect of a referral made by the Commission under subsection (4).

(4) The Commission shall refer every claimant who meets the requirements of subsection (2) and has had the number of hours of insurable employment required by subsection 7(3) or 7.1(2) of the Act, as applicable and as adapted by subsection (3), to an appropriate agency to have their employment needs assessed and to determine whether skills training or other employment assistance would be of benefit to them in their search for suitable employment.